Cabana tailgate ramp

ABSTRACT

A method and apparatus for a ramp system for use with standardized cargo containers. In one advantageous embodiment, a container system comprises a container, a hinge, and a movable ramp. The container may have an opening and the hinge may be connected to the container at the opening of the container. The moveable ramp may be connected to the hinge.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

1. Field

The present disclosure relates generally to containers and in particularto cargo containers. Still more particularly, the present disclosurerelates to a ramp for use with containers.

2. Background

Containerization may be a system of cargo transport, which may beaccomplished using standard International Organization forStandardization containers. The containers may also be referred to asshipping or cargo containers. These types of containers may be loadedwith cargo and placed onto transport vehicles, such as, for example,without limitation, container ships, railroad cars, aircraft, andtrucks. On these vehicles, the containers may be transported from asource location to a destination location. These types of containers mayhave various dimensions. The length of these type containers may be, forexample, without limitation, twenty feet, thirty feet, thirty-five feet,forty-eight feet, and fifty-three feet. A twenty foot long container maybe, for example, without limitation, eight feet wide and nine feet high.These types of containers may be made of steel or other suitablematerials and may be stacked for shipping.

Cargo or other items may be placed into and removed from thesecontainers through an opening in the cargo container. The opening mayhave a door that may be closed for transport. With heavy cargo, rampsmay be used to allow the cargo to be moved into and out of thecontainer. A ramp may have two pieces, which may be put into place infront of the door or opening of the container. Placement of the ramp mayrequire a forklift with a forklift operator and two other people to liftand move the pieces of the ramp into place. Moving pieces into place forthese types of ramps may be labor intensive and prone to cause injury toworkers because of the weight and complexity of these ramps.

Accordingly, there is a need for a method and apparatus for minimizingproblems associated with placing ramps which overcomes the problemsdiscussed above. The embodiments of the disclosure intend to satisfythis need.

SUMMARY

The advantageous embodiments provide a ramp system for use withstandardized cargo containers. In one advantageous embodiment, acontainer system comprises a container, a hinge, and a movable ramp. Thecontainer may have an opening and the hinge may be connected to thecontainer at the opening of the container. The moveable ramp may beconnected to the hinge.

In another advantageous embodiment, a method may be used to move items.A fastening system holding the moveable ramp in a closed position on thecontainer may be disengaged. The moveable ramp may be attached to thecontainer by a hinge and may be located in front of an opening to aninterior of the container. The moveable ramp may be lowered into an openposition and items from the container may be removed using the moveableramp.

The features, functions, and advantages can be achieved independently invarious embodiments of the present disclosure or may be combined in yetother embodiments in which further details can be seen with reference tothe following description and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The novel features believed characteristic of the advantageousembodiments are set forth in the appended claims. The advantageousembodiments, however, as well as a preferred mode of use, furtherobjectives and advantages thereof, will best be understood by referenceto the following detailed description of an advantageous embodiment ofthe present disclosure when read in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a flow diagram of aircraft production and service methodologyin which an advantageous embodiment may be implemented;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an aircraft in accordance with anadvantageous embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating functional components of acontainer in accordance with an advantageous embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a cabana in accordance with anadvantageous embodiment;

FIG. 5 is an illustration of a front-end of a cabana with a moveableramp in an open position in accordance with an advantageous embodiment;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a ramp and containerfor a cabana in accordance with an advantageous embodiment;

FIG. 7 is a more detailed illustration of a tab and fastening system fora moveable ramp in accordance with an advantageous embodiment; and

FIG. 8 is a flowchart of a process for accessing a cabana in accordancewith an advantageous embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring more particularly to the drawings, embodiments of thedisclosure may be described in the context of aircraft manufacturing andservice method 100 as shown in FIG. 1 and aircraft 102 as shown in FIG.2. During pre-production, exemplary method 100 may include specificationand design 104 of aircraft 102 and material procurement 106. Duringproduction, component and subassembly manufacturing 108 and systemintegration 110 of aircraft 102 takes place. Thereafter, aircraft 102may go through certification and delivery 112 in order to be placed inservice 114. While in service by a customer, aircraft 102 is scheduledfor routine maintenance and service 116 (which may also includemodification, reconfiguration, refurbishment, and so on).

Each of the processes of method 100 may be performed or carried out by asystem integrator, a third party, and/or an operator (e.g., a customer).For the purposes of this description, a system integrator may includewithout limitation any number of aircraft manufacturers and major-systemsubcontractors; a third party may include without limitation any numberof venders, subcontractors, and suppliers; and an operator may be anairline, leasing company, military entity, service organization, and soon.

As shown in FIG. 2, aircraft 102 produced by exemplary method 100 mayinclude airframe 118 with a plurality of systems 120 and interior 122.Examples of high-level systems 120 include one or more of propulsionsystem 124, electrical system 126, hydraulic system 126, andenvironmental system 130. Any number of other systems may be included.Although an aerospace example is shown, the principles of the disclosuremay be applied to other industries, such as the automotive industry.

Apparatus and methods embodied herein may be employed during any one ormore of the stages of production and service method 100. For example,components or subassemblies corresponding to production process 108 maybe fabricated or manufactured in a manner similar to components orsubassemblies produced while aircraft 102 is in service. Also, one ormore apparatus embodiments, method embodiments, or a combination thereofmay be utilized during production stages 108 and 110, for example, bysubstantially expediting assembly of or reducing the cost of aircraft102. Similarly, one or more of apparatus embodiments, methodembodiments, or a combination thereof may be utilized while aircraft 102is in service, for example and without limitation, to maintenance andservice 116.

The different advantageous embodiments recognize that these types ofcontainers may have many uses beyond the normal shipping of goods fromone place to another. A non-limiting example of another use may be tomove items for use during certification and delivery 110 or maintenanceand service 114. More specifically, these types of containers may beused to transport items, such as, for example, without limitation,equipment, tools, tool boxes, and supplies for use during an aircraft onground situation.

An aircraft on ground situation may be a situation in which a problem ispresent with an aircraft that may be serious enough to prevent theaircraft from flying. With this type of situation, a maintenance team,along with their tools and parts, may be called upon to travel to thelocation of the aircraft to fix the problem. The different advantageousembodiments employ the use of modified cargo containers for these typesof situations. These types of containers may be referred to as cabanas.

The different advantageous embodiments recognize that finding orlocating a ramp at an aircraft on ground site may be time consuming. Insome instances, a ramp may be unavailable at the site. With this typesituation, the movement of equipment and tools into and out of a cabanamay become more difficult. In these examples, the different tools andparts may often be heavy enough that the tools may be stored within toolboxes with wheels to facilitate rolling these units in and out of thecabanas. Further, certain parts may be heavy enough that they may beplaced on dollies, hand trucks, or other rolling support mechanisms tofacilitate their movement into and out of the cabana. These partsinclude, for example, without limitation, landing gear components,landing gear doors, cargo compartment doors, ailerons, rudders, andengine parts.

Also, in some cases, these ramps may be placed into the cabana fortransport to a particular location. This type of implementation,however, may be non-optimal and space within the cabana may be limited.Further, in some places, a forklift may be unavailable for use inplacing the ramps. Having personnel move and place these ramps intoplace without a forklift may result in injuries.

Thus, the different advantageous embodiments provide a method andapparatus for transporting items. In one advantageous embodiment, acontainer system may have a container, a hinge, and a movable ramp. Thehinge is connected to the container at an opening of the container.Additionally, the hinge may be connected to the movable ramp such thatthe movable ramp may be rotatable or movable with respect to thecontainer. In the different advantageous embodiments, the containersystem may take the form of a cabana or other type of container fortransporting items or other cargo.

In these examples, the container may be a standardized cargo container.A standardized cargo container may be a container constructed using aset of standards or specifications. For example, a standardized cargocontainer may specify dimensions and materials to be used.Standardization may allow for stacking and easier movement ofcontainers. Further, the standards or specifications may set outfeatures to facilitate handling of standardized cargo containers usingequipment, such as, for example, without limitation, a crane, a forklift, or a twist lock.

With reference next to FIG. 3, a block diagram illustrating functionalcomponents of cabana 300 is depicted in accordance with an advantageousembodiment. In this example, cabana 300 may be an example of a containersystem used in the maintenance of an aircraft. In this example, cabana300 may include, for example, without limitation, container 302, powerinterface 304, lights 306, door 308, and moveable ramp 310. Container302 may take the form of a cargo container and may take various lengths,such as, for example, without limitation, twenty feet or forty feet.Container 302 may be eight feet wide and nine feet high, in theseexamples. The dimensions may vary, depending on the particularimplementation.

In this example, container 302 may be made of steel. Of course, othermaterials, such as, for example, without limitation, iron composite,aluminum, or other suitable materials may be used, depending on theparticular implementation. In these examples, container 302 is in theform of a cuboid, which may be a solid figure bounded by six rectangularfaces. The different advantageous embodiments may be applied tocontainers that have other shapes.

Power interface 304 may be attached to container 302 and may provide anability to connect container 302 to a power source and provide outletswithin container 302 to supply power for various tools. Further, cabana300 may also include lights 306. In these examples, lights 306 may beconnected to power interface 304 to provide light within container 302.

Door 308 may be a moveable door that provides access to the interior ofcontainer 302. In the different advantageous embodiments, moveable ramp310 may take the form of a tailgate ramp or moveable ramp that may beaffixed to container 302. In these examples, moveable ramp 310 mayprovide an ability to move equipment and other items into and out ofcontainer 302 more quickly and easily.

In the different advantageous embodiments, moveable ramp 310 may beattached to container 302 in a manner that allows moveable ramp 310 topivot or turn relative to container 302. Moveable ramp 310 may belowered into place in an open position, rather than requiring placementof a separate ramp to access container 302. Further, by includingmoveable ramp 310 with cabana 300, having to find or locate a rampand/or forklift at an aircraft on ground site may become unnecessary.

The different components illustrated within cabana 300 are non-limitingexamples of functional components. Other components may be found withincabana 300 in addition to the ones illustrated. Further, with otheradvantageous embodiments, container 302 may be used with moveable ramp310 to provide an ability to more easily move items into and out ofcontainer 300.

Turning now to FIG. 4, a perspective view of cabana 300 is depicted inaccordance with an advantageous embodiment. In this perspective view,cabana 300 may include top 400, bottom 402, side 404, side 406, end 408and end 410. In this illustration, end 410 may include door 308 andmoveable ramp 310.

Door 308 may be a moveable door that may roll up and down along a tracksystem to provide access to the interior of cabana 300. In otheradvantageous embodiments, door 308 may be attached to a side of theopening to swing open either outward or inward. Moveable ramp 310 may bea moveable ramp that may fold downward to provide access to door 308. Inthis illustration, moveable ramp 310 may be in a closed or securedposition. Placement of moveable ramp 310 in front of door 308 may allowfor a quick and easy placement of moveable ramp 310 into a position formoving items into and out of cabana 300, as compared to currently usedramps for moving cargo.

In this example, moveable ramp 310 is attached to container 302 throughhinge 412. Moveable ramp 310 may be made of materials other than thatused for container 302. For example, instead of steel, moveable ramp 310may be made from aluminum or some other alloy composite or othersuitable material. In these examples, the type of material for movableramp 310 may be selected to minimize the weight of moveable ramp 310,increasing the ease of lowering and lifting moveable ramp 310.

Additionally, moveable ramp 310 also may include channels 414, 416, and418 which may be attached or welded to bottom surface 420 of moveableramp 310 and may be structural members that provide reinforcement formovable ramp 310. In these examples, channels 414, 416, and 418 may betwo by four inches in dimensions to form a strengthening member or ribto increase the strength of moveable ramp 310. A variety of crosssection sizes and shapes may be used, including, without limitation, “I”beams, “C” channels, “L” beams, and box beams. Cross section size andshape may vary along its length.

Hinge 412 may be located at bottom 402 at end 410. Hinge 412 may be amechanical device that connects to two components and allows rotationbetween the components. In the depicted examples, hinge 412 may take theform of a piano hinge. The hinge may be fabricated from stainless steel,or other suitable materials. In these examples, hinge 412 may allowmovable ramp 310 to pivot or rotate relative to container 302. Ofcourse, any other type of hinge or mechanical structure may be used thatmay allow moveable ramp 310 to pivot or move from a closed position toan open position.

In this example, moveable ramp 310 also may include tabs 422 and 424.These tabs may prevent moveable ramp 310 from falling inward intocontainer 302 of cabana 300 when door 308 is opened.

Further, cabana 300 also may include fastening system 426 and fasteningsystem 428. These fastening systems may be employed to secure movableramp 310 in a closed position as depicted in FIG. 4.

With reference now to FIG. 5, an illustration of a front-end of cabana300 with moveable ramp 310 in an open position is depicted in accordancewith an advantageous embodiment. In this particular example, moveableramp 310 is in an open position. Moveable ramp 310 may be moveable athinge 412 to move moveable ramp 310 between an open and closed position.In some embodiments, movable ramp 310 may be removable as well asmovable.

In this example, hinge 412 may be a piano hinge with plate 512 attachedor joined to floor 514 inside container 400. Dotted line 500 showsmoveable ramp 310 in phantom to illustrate the move ability of moveableramp 310. Movable ramp 310 may be moved downward into an open positionto allow access to items located inside of container 302 of cabana 300.

Movable ramp 310 may be moved upwards into a closed position when accessto cabana 300 is no longer needed. As can be seen, in this illustration,moveable ramp 310 may be easily moved from a closed position to an openposition to allow the movement of items into and out of cabana 300. Inthese examples, items, such as toolbox units 502 and 504, may be movedinto and out of container 302 of cabana 300 using moveable ramp 310.

Further, in these different advantageous embodiments, top surface 508 oframp 310 may include non-slip material 510. Non-slip material 510 mayreduce the possibility of items sliding on movable ramp 310. Non-slipmaterial 510 may increase the coefficient friction in a manner thatincreases the force needed for an object to slide on top surface 508.Non-slip material 510 may be, for example, without limitation, non-slippaint, pressure sensitive backed grit tapes, or a non-slip laminate.

With reference now to FIG. 6, a cross-sectional view of a portion ofmovable ramp 310 and container 302 for cabana 300 is depicted inaccordance with an advantageous embodiment. In this example, container302 and moveable ramp 310 for cabana 300 are shown in a partialcross-sectional view taken along lines 6-6 from FIG. 5.

In this view, hinge 412 may be joined or attached to bottom surface 420of moveable ramp 310. Hole 600 may be part of fastening system 426, inthese examples.

Turning next to FIG. 7, a more detailed illustration of tab 424 andfastening system 428 for moveable ramp 310 is depicted in accordancewith an advantageous embodiment. In this example, fastening system 428may be used to secure moveable ramp 310 in a closed position withrespect to container 302 through placement of pin 700 through holes 702and 600. Pin 700 may be secured in place with fastener 704. This type ofmechanism may hold moveable ramp 310 in place for transport or whenaccess to the interior of cabana 300 may not be needed.

Although fastening system 428 may be shown in the form of a pin andfastener, other types of fastening systems may be used. For example,without limitation, a lock may be used to secure moveable ramp 310 tocontainer 302. With this type of configuration, when moveable ramp 310is in a closed position, access to open door 308 may be prevented. If alock is used to secure moveable ramp 310 in place, a lock may beunnecessary to keep door 308 closed. Alternatively, a lock also may beused with door 308 to provide additional security for the items storedwithin container 302 of cabana 300.

Turning now to FIG. 8, a flowchart of a process for accessing a cabanais depicted in accordance with an advantageous embodiment. In thisexample, the process begins by unsecuring the moveable ramp in theclosed position (operation 800). In operation 800, the movable ramp maybe unsecured by disengaging the fastening system holding the movableramp in the closed position on the container.

Thereafter, the process may lower the moveable ramp into an openposition (operation 802). In these examples, the ramp may be loweredinto the open position by two workers. Although, in other embodiments,other numbers of workers may be employed to open the ramp. With themoveable ramp being attached to the cabana, the use of a forkliftbecomes unnecessary, in these examples.

Next, the door may be opened (operation 804). After the door has beenopened, items may be removed or placed into the container of the cabana(operation 806). These materials are merely examples of materials thatmay be used in one embodiment. The types of materials selected may varyin different embodiments and implementations. Further, in operation 806,other activities may take place. For example, without limitation,repairs to parts may be performed within the cabana.

Thereafter, maintenance may be performed on an aircraft using items fromthe cabana (operation 808). In operation 808, the maintenance may beperformed using the items from the aircraft. For example, the items maybe, for example, without limitation, toolkit units containing toolsneeded to perform maintenance on an aircraft and parts needed to performthe maintenance. Operation 808 is an optional step, depending on theimplementation. In the instance in which the process may be performed toload items for transport to a location for maintenance, this operationis omitted.

When access is no longer needed to the cabana, the process may close thedoor (operation 810). Thereafter, the process may raise the moveableramp into a closed position (operation 812), and the moveable ramp maybe secured through a fastening system as described above (operation814), with the process terminating thereafter. This fastening system maybe, for example, without limitation, a pair of pins, a pair of locks, orsome combination of the two. At this point, the cabana may now besecured and ready for transport.

Thus, the different advantageous embodiments provide a method andapparatus for transporting items. In one of the advantageousembodiments, a container system has a container with an opening. A hingemay be connected to the container at the opening of the container. Amovable ramp may be connected to the hinge. This movable ramp may bemovable into either a closed or open position. In an open position, themovable ramp may provide workers and other users an ability to moveitems into and out of a container. These items may be, for example,toolbox units containing tools for performing maintenance on aircraft orother vehicles. In other advantageous embodiments, the items also mayinclude different parts needed to perform the maintenance.

This container system may reduce a need to locate a ramp when arrivingat a location to perform work, such as maintenance on an aircraft on theground. Further, a need for a forklift or other equipment to move a rampinto place also may be unnecessary with this type of container system.With these different features, the time needed to perform maintenance onan aircraft may be reduced.

The description of the different advantageous embodiments has beenpresented for purposes of illustration and description, and is notintended to be exhaustive or limited to the embodiments in the formdisclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to thoseof ordinary skill in the art. The different advantageous embodimentsdescribed in the illustrative examples are directed towards a containerin the form of a cabana. Other advantageous embodiments may be directedtowards other types of containers.

For example, without limitation, the different embodiments may beimplemented in cargo containers that are normally used to transportcargo, such as, for example, without limitation, tires, computers,perishable items, lumber, concrete, furniture, and consumer electronics.Further, the different advantageous embodiments may provide differentadvantages as compared to other advantageous embodiments. The embodimentor embodiments selected are chosen and described in order to bestexplain the principles of the embodiments, the practical application,and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand thedisclosure for various embodiments with various modifications as aresuited to the particular use contemplated.

1. A standardized cargo container system comprising: a container having an opening; a hinge connected to the container at the opening of the container; and a moveable ramp connected to the hinge.
 2. The standardized cargo container system of claim 1 further comprising: a door connected to the opening.
 3. The standardized cargo container system of claim 2, wherein the door is moveable upwards and downwards.
 4. The standardized cargo container system of claim 2, wherein the hinge is connected to a bottom portion of the opening of the container and wherein the moveable ramp moves upward into a closed position and moves downward into an open position.
 5. The standardized cargo container system of claim 4, wherein the moveable ramp obscures at least a portion of the door when the moveable ramp is in the closed position.
 6. The standardized cargo container system of claim 1, wherein the movable ramp comprises: a substantially planar member having a top surface and a bottom surface; and at least one reinforcement member attached to the bottom surface.
 7. The standardized cargo container system of claim 6 further comprising: a tab located on one of the plurality of reinforcement members, wherein the tab prevents the moveable ramp from falling inward into the container when the moveable ramp is moved into the closed position.
 8. The standardized cargo container system of claim 6, wherein the top surface of the substantially planar member has a non-slip material.
 9. The standardized cargo container system of claim 1, wherein the container is a cuboid.
 10. The standardized cargo container system of claim 1, wherein the container is comprised of steel and the moveable ramp is comprised of aluminum.
 11. The standardized cargo container system of claim 4 further comprising: a fastener system capable of securing the moveable ramp in the closed position.
 12. The standardized cargo container system of claim 11, wherein the fastener system comprises a first hole in the moveable ramp, a second hole in the container aligned to the first hole when the moveable ramp is in the closed position, and a pin capable of being placed through the first hole and the second hole when the moveable ramp is in the closed position.
 13. The standardized cargo container system of claim 1 further comprising: a power interface attached to the container, wherein the power interface is capable of providing power to an interior of the container when coupled to a power source.
 14. The standardized cargo container system of claim 13 further comprising: a set of lights located inside of the container, wherein the set of lights are electrically connected to the power interface.
 15. The standardized cargo container system of claim 14, wherein the container system is a cabana.
 16. The standardized cargo container system of claim 1 further comprising: tool kit units located inside of the container.
 17. A method for accessing a standardized cargo container, the method comprising: disengaging a an attachment system holding a moveable ramp in a closed position on the container, wherein the moveable ramp is attached to the container by a hinge and is located in front of an opening to an interior of the container; lowering the moveable ramp into an open position; and accessing the container using the moveable ramp.
 18. The method of claim 17 further comprising: raising the movable ramp back to the closed position; and securing the movable ramp in the closed position.
 19. The method of claim 17 further comprising: opening a door in the opening.
 20. The method of claim 17, wherein the accessing step comprises removing items from the standardized cargo container using the movable ramp and further comprising: using the items removed from the standardized cargo container to perform maintenance on an aircraft. 